bigrob Posted July 2, 2010 Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 Hi all - A couple of years ago I inherited my Uncles (Alexander Henry) shotgun - it has 30 inch barrels both cylinder and is a hammer shotgun with damascus barrels. I recently tried to find some info on this gun - there is very little! I looked up the proofing marks and found a lot of info but what is the VIEW mark - does it simply tell you where it was proofed - and is there any mark that could give me the age of the beast - Cheers - Bigrob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy H Posted July 2, 2010 Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 Yes the view mark just tells you where it was inspected and in some cases by who, Post some pics of the proof marks and we may be able to give you more information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigrob Posted July 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 Yes the view mark just tells you where it was inspected and in some cases by who,Post some pics of the proof marks and we may be able to give you more information. Many thanks for that Andy - I looked up the other proof marks on the internet - it has a V with a crown above it and a R with the same and the BNP with the crown above it. There are what looks like cross swords with G on the left - B on the right and 2 underneath. Bigrob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy H Posted July 2, 2010 Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 Gxb is the date code for 1956 at birmingham when it was possibly reproofed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigrob Posted July 3, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2010 Thanks for that Andy - have tried to take some photo's but even with the macro setting they are not very clear - Are there any marks that could determine the age of the shotgun - there is a patent number with another number just below it - will try again with the photo's - Bigrob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seeker Posted July 3, 2010 Report Share Posted July 3, 2010 (edited) v/crown = view R/crown = reproof... What about a search for Alex Henry an if there's an address on the rib that may help tie it to a date span? Also auction house catalogues may have one with a similar number & may have done the detective work already. Possibly someone wrote a book on Henry and his guns or his firm was bought out and the current company (if it still exists) may have the original records. you could always contact someone like Hadoke in Sporting Shooter .... PS - if he's the second half of Martini-Henry think 1870s to 1890s Edited July 3, 2010 by seeker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham M Posted July 4, 2010 Report Share Posted July 4, 2010 you could always contact someone like Hadoke in Sporting Shooter ....PS - if he's the second half of Martini-Henry think 1870s to 1890s Young Diggory Hadoke once posted on PW to a request I sent to him via email. (I met Dig a few years ago and became good friends with him….nice lad) Don’t know if he has posted for a while but he may still have his account active. G.M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 4, 2010 Report Share Posted July 4, 2010 Worth contacting the Birmingham proof house (or london if that's where it was Black powder proofed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigrob Posted July 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 Here's a photo - Bigrob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigrob Posted July 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 Here's another - (I hope) Bigrob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigrob Posted July 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 And Another - sorry about the first one - Bigrob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDAV Posted July 5, 2010 Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 (edited) Definitely got a Birmingham proof date (reproof) is between the swords send the pictures to Birmingham and London proof houses and see what they say the difficulty is (for me deciphering the reproof marks from the originals) also definitely got london proof marks. Sorry i can't help more, not easy to photograph are they proof marks i got a jewellers eye glass to decipher some 1967 birmingham marks!!! Edited July 5, 2010 by HDAV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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